<p>Congress president Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, placed a white wreath on the flower-bedecked body of the Communist stalwart, stood for a while and then left. Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani were also present. <br /><br />Meanwhile, a huge concourse of mourners on Tuesday filled the streets of Kolkata as the body of Basu was taken out of a funeral parlour for the last journey in a hearse bedecked with white flowers and red party flags. <br /><br />Led by a pilot car of the Kolkata Police, the hearse slowly made its way around 8 am to the CPM party headquarters at Alimuddin Street where the party flags flew half mast.<br />Touching scenes were witnessed as the hearse carrying Basu’s body, draped in the party’s red flag, reached the party headquarters.</p>
<p>Congress president Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, placed a white wreath on the flower-bedecked body of the Communist stalwart, stood for a while and then left. Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda and Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani were also present. <br /><br />Meanwhile, a huge concourse of mourners on Tuesday filled the streets of Kolkata as the body of Basu was taken out of a funeral parlour for the last journey in a hearse bedecked with white flowers and red party flags. <br /><br />Led by a pilot car of the Kolkata Police, the hearse slowly made its way around 8 am to the CPM party headquarters at Alimuddin Street where the party flags flew half mast.<br />Touching scenes were witnessed as the hearse carrying Basu’s body, draped in the party’s red flag, reached the party headquarters.</p>
